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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. PRESTON.

' GRAIN PRESS. No. 404,655. P; Patenlzed June 4, 1889.

Inventor.-

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W. PRESTON.

GRAIN PRESS.

N. PETERS. Pmwumu n hm Wnlnmginn. at;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patehtec'lJune 4, 1889.

. cleats mounted in a suitable casing, so that Fig. 1.

' to enable it to resist a powerful internal press- UNITED STATESPATENT. OFFICE.

WVILLIAM PRESTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMESJ. KELLY, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAlN--PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 404,655, dated June 4,1889.

Application filed Augustl'7, 1888i.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM PRESTON, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPresses for Drying; Brewers Grains and for other Purposes; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof, reference? being had to the accompanying drawings, andi to theletters of reference marked'thereon, makinga part of this specification,in which v Figure 1 is a horizontal section through the top of the pressin line a: 00 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a central vertical section in line y yof Fig-1, Fig. 3, a detail in elevation of the yoke and screw forsecuring the discharge doors o'r valves; Fig. 4, a sectional detail inline 2 z of; Fig. 5 illustrates the combinationof the grain-press with ahydrostatic press for: actuating its plungers. 5

Similar letters indicate like parts in all of the figures. I

My invention has for its object to facilitate the compression of wetbrewers grains in large quantities for the purpose of squeezing out andextracting the excess of moisture therefrom preparatory to fully dryingthe same.

It consists in the combination, with a series of screw-actuated plungersmoving horizontally, of a series of detachable perforatedpartition-plates and interposed supportingthe plungers may move betweensaid plates and force the grains filled therein toward discharge valvesor doors, which are opened more or less to graduate and control thepressure upon the grains and the rate of their discharge, as hereinafterfully set forth, and in the details of construction and combination ofparts, as hereinafter described and particularly claimed. a

The press is constructed of a stout rectangular frame or casing A A ofheavy boards, supported by suitable uprights B B and crossbeams O O andD D, all bolted together by longitudinal, vertical, and horizontaltie-rods E E ure. Double doors F F and F F are fitted transversely inthe top of the casing to swing outwardly, as shown in dotted lines, Fig.2,

Serial a. 283,030. (No model.)

and-when closed these doors are battened down and made fast by means oftransverse plate J which serves as a false bottom therefor. In likemanner narrow cleats I I I are secured vertically against the inside ofthe lateral walls or frame-work of the casing to supportperforatedplates J, fitted vertically against the same to constitute the innerwalls of the apparatus. The casing is furthermore divided longitudinallyinto a series of compartments K K K of equal size by means ofperforated-plates L L L L, arranged in pairs against interposed verticalcleats m m to form vertical-hollow partition-walls between thecompartments.

The outer end of each compartment is closed by a door N, hinged,preferably, at its upper end to swing out at the bottom, and which issecured and controlled by means of a yoke 0, made to span the openingoutside the lower free end of the door, and fitted with a centralset-screw 0, working through it to bear upon said free end. Each yoke Ois hinged at one end to the casing, and is caught and held at the otherby a catch P. (See Fig. By swinging the yoke upward the door may beopened wide and free, while by means of the yoke the door may be heldclosed against the internal pressure exerted upon it in the operation ofthe press, or be opened more or less during the continuance ofthispressure to permit, if desired, a gradual outflow of the grains whilestill under pressure.

A heavy plunger or follower R is fitted to move horizontally in eachcompartment and to bear closely against its side, bottom, and topplates. Each plunger is .secured to a strong bar or rod S,workingcentrally through the rear wall of the press, and the severalplunger-rods are all made fast at their outer ends to a cross-head T,working freely at each end in longitudinal ways (see Fig. 4) formed inthe inner sides of lateral beams U U, ex-

tending the length of the press. This crosshead T is made to traveluniformly in said ways to and from the press by means of two endlessscrews \V V, working through each end thereof and rotating in bearingsformed therefor in the frame of the press. 5 The two endless screws W TVare geared together to rotate in unison by means of sprocket-wheels V Von their outer ends, carrying an endless chain V and driven by asuitable motor geared in the customary manner to one of them.

In place of the endless screws WV \V,worked by a motor to actuate theplungers R R, I contemplate the use of a hydrostatic press of thecustomary form for the same end, substantially as shown in Fig. 5, inwhich the cross-head T, to which the plunger-rods S S S are attached, isrepresented as moved by the piston a, working in the extended hydrauliccylinder Z) under the pressure of water admitted from a supply-pipe c.

In the operation of the improved press the followers are first movedback in each compartment against the solid end wall of the casing, so asto leave said compartments free to receive the grains to be pressed, andthe end doors N N are closed and made fast by the yokes O O and thescrews working through said yokes. The grains are then dumped in bulkthrough the open doors F F F F at the top of the press into thecompartments K K to fill them. This being done, the doors F F and F Fare closed, and are secured by means of the batten-plates G G and thelockingscrews H H, which are screwed down upon said plates. Thecrosshead T is then made to move slowly and steadily toward the casingby the rotation of the endless screws \V \V, which are driven in unisonby the sprocket-gear V V, and are actuated by a suitable engine gearedto one of them. As the cross-head T moves forward the several plungers RR attached thereto are carried forward in each compartment K, therebypushing and gradually compressing the wet grains therein toward the enddoors N N. As this compression takes place the moisture in the grains issqueezed out and escapes freely through the perforated side walls andbottom of the compartments, the intervals between the cleats m m and II, by which the perforated plates constituting said walls and bottom aresupportedagainst the pressure thereon, furnishing open channels for thedischarge of the waste fluid. \Vhen the compression has so farprogressed as that the bulk of the water has been expressed and theresistance becomes unduly great, the end doors N N are opened more orless by a withdrawal of the set-screws O 0, so as to relieve theexcessive pressure and allow a slow discharge of the grains, and whenthe surplus moisture has been fully expressed these doors N are thrownwide open to permit a complete discharge of the grains from thecompartments by the completion of the stroke of the plungers.

The perforated lining and partition-plates of the casing admit of readyremoval for repair or for readjustment, and the press is strong andsimple in all its parts and very eflicient in operation.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with an outersupporting-casing having perforated inner side walls, a perforatedbottom, and a solid end wall, of a series of double partition-wallsseverally formed of detachable perforated plates and interposedtransverse cleats, and which abut against the solid wall of the casingat one end and its uprights at the other, hinged doors closing theopenings between. said uprights, followers moving longitudinally in thecompartments formed by the double partitionplates between the solid wallat one end and the doors at the other, and mechanism, substantially asdescribed, for actuating said plungers and moving them to and from theend door of each compartment, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with an outer supporting-casing having perforatedinner side walls, a perforated bottom, and a solid end wall,of a seriesof double partition walls severally formed of detachable perforatedplates and interposed transverse cleats and which abut against the solidwall of the casing at one end and its uprights at the other, doorsclosing the openings between said uprights, followers movinglongitudinally in the compartments formed by the double partitionplatesbetween the solid wall at one end and the doors at the other, mechanism,substantially as described, for actuating said plungers and moving themto and from the end door of each compartment, a yoke spanning theopenings for each door to limit its out ward movement, and a set screwworking through said yoke to control said movement, all substantially inthe manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with an outer supporting-casing having perforatedinner side walls, a perforated bottom, and a solid end wall, of a seriesof double partition-walls severally formed of detachable perforatedplates and interposed transverse cleats, and which abut against thesolid wall of the casing at one end and its uprights at the other, doorsclosing the openings between said uprights, followers movinglongitudinally in the compartments formed by the double partition-platesbetween the solid wall at one end and the doors at the other, mechanism,substantially as described, for aetuatin g said plungers and moving themto and from the end door of each compartment, double doors hinged at thetop of the casing to extend transversely over its compartments, abatten-plate to cover the joint. between each pair of doors, and aset-screw working against said batten through an upper cross-piece tofasten and secure the doors against internal pressure, substantially inthe manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

IIO

4. The combination; with an outer supportin g-casinghaving perforatedinner side walls, a perforated bottom, and a solid end wall, of a seriesof double partition-Walls severally formed of detachable perforatedplates and interposed transverse cleats and which abut against the solidwall of the casing at one end and its uprights at the other, doorsclosing the openings between said uprights, followers movinglongitudinally in the compartments formed by the double partition-platesbetween the solid wall at one end and the doors at the other, across-head to which the followers are all secured endless screws workingthrough said cross-head, one at either end, gearing 15 connecting saidscrews to cause them to rotate in unison, and mechanism for driving thesame, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name 20 to this specification inthe presenee of two subscribing witnesses.

. 111 v WILLIAM PRESTON.

Witnesses:

A. N. J ESBERA, E. M. WATsoN.

